Australian iron ore miners – what does the future hold?

I recently visited Perth to speak with some iron ore miners, before heading north to visit Fortescue Metals Group’s Solomon mining hub and Port Hedland infrastructure. Sentiment among the iron ore miners is understandably positive, compared to 12 months ago, given the surprisingly resilient iron ore price over 2016. That said, the big four miners do appear to be behaving rationally and don’t see the need to push more tonnage, beyond clearly-stated targets, into the stronger-than-expected price environment. But with the WA Nationals proposing a lift in rental payments, on top of the royalties already being paid, what will be the impact on our bulk miners? (VIEW LINK)